by Toni Morrison __readwritethink lesson plan__
This lesson plan has students take a scene from the novel Beloved and turn it into a ten minute play. Students will need to be creative and analytical in order to find ways to present the internal dialogue and multiple perspectives theatrically.
This website is a study guide that provides summaries and explanations, character analysis, discussion of themes, and a user’s forum. Students can resource this while reading the text on their own.
This lesson starts off with using a film review of Beloved and then has the students pick a historical figure to write a first-person narrative of one of those people. However, to use this lesson plan I would change it so the students chose a character from the novel and wrote from his or her perspective instead of a historical figure.
This lesson plan is a section of a 3 part unit on motherhood, but could easily be used alone for teaching Beloved. Using questions and activities it focuses on the infanticide, motherhood, and narrative style and its impact of the reader.
This site provides study questions that explore the themes of Beloved. They are pretty open ended and the website suggests they could be used as ideas for book reports.
This assessment uses matching and multiple choice to test student’s knowledge of the text.
Broadcast about the ghost
I liked the summary about this lesson, but the link expired so I fleshed it out myself. The teacher would outline some basics about writing for broadcast. Then have students break into groups and pick out the most relevant information concerning the ghost of 124 Bluestone Road making sure to maintain an unbiased stance. They will create a 120 second news broadcast and must include at least one interview from “an original source” a.k.a. Sethe, Paul D, Denver; an anchor; and images or shots with a voice over relating to what is being shown.
With this lesson students will construct a visual interpretation of a section of the novel and present/discuss it with the class. Then students will analyze three connected passages in the novel and focus on the relationship between language and meaning.
Creating Wikis for the main characters
After the class has completed the novel divide the students into groups and assign each group a main character perhaps Beloved, Sethe, Paul D, Baby Suggs, and maybe Halle. The students should then go back through the book and chronologically reconstruct the main events of that character’s life. With each event, the students should include a brief summary of how it affected their character the novel’s present. Each group will create a wiki page for their findings and present it to the class. This way the entire class can access the material for review.
This lesson includes extensive resources on background of the novel, entry points into the novel, teaching the novel as history, and as literature. It also includes a culminating activity that puts Sethe on trial for Beloved’s death.
This lesson looks has students respond both to the novel as well as slavery’s deeper context and its aftermath. Students will write their own “re-memories” at the conclusion.
This website provides simulations, images, narratives and more concerning Jim Crow and the history of slavery starting in 1870 as the characters in the novel would have experienced it.
Here students create a narrative in which they try to replicate Morrison’s style incorporating dialogue and memories.
Times interview with Toni Morrison This site provides an interview with Toni Morrison on Beloved and slavery. This can also provide some background information for students.
This lesson plan first uses an interactive online venn diagram to represent the non-linearity of the novel’s narrative structure. Students then do close readings of the passages concerning the infanticide Sethe commits and how it relates to author bias.
Beloved
by Toni Morrison
__readwritethink lesson plan__
This lesson plan has students take a scene from the novel Beloved and turn it into a ten minute play. Students will need to be creative and analytical in order to find ways to present the internal dialogue and multiple perspectives theatrically.
2. __Web English Teacher discussion questions__
This website provides nine in depth questions for reflection and discussion of the novel.
- __Homework Study Guide__
This website is a study guide that provides summaries and explanations, character analysis, discussion of themes, and a user’s forum. Students can resource this while reading the text on their own.- __The Learning Network Study Guide__
This lesson starts off with using a film review of Beloved and then has the students pick a historical figure to write a first-person narrative of one of those people. However, to use this lesson plan I would change it so the students chose a character from the novel and wrote from his or her perspective instead of a historical figure.- __Mini Unit III for Beloved__
This lesson plan is a section of a 3 part unit on motherhood, but could easily be used alone for teaching Beloved. Using questions and activities it focuses on the infanticide, motherhood, and narrative style and its impact of the reader.- __Study Questions__
This site provides study questions that explore the themes of Beloved. They are pretty open ended and the website suggests they could be used as ideas for book reports.- __Test created by Kathy Bornman__
This assessment uses matching and multiple choice to test student’s knowledge of the text.- Broadcast about the ghost
I liked the summary about this lesson, but the link expired so I fleshed it out myself. The teacher would outline some basics about writing for broadcast. Then have students break into groups and pick out the most relevant information concerning the ghost of 124 Bluestone Road making sure to maintain an unbiased stance. They will create a 120 second news broadcast and must include at least one interview from “an original source” a.k.a. Sethe, Paul D, Denver; an anchor; and images or shots with a voice over relating to what is being shown.- __Narrative Structure and Perspectives in Toni Morrison’s Beloved__
With this lesson students will construct a visual interpretation of a section of the novel and present/discuss it with the class. Then students will analyze three connected passages in the novel and focus on the relationship between language and meaning.- Creating Wikis for the main characters
After the class has completed the novel divide the students into groups and assign each group a main character perhaps Beloved, Sethe, Paul D, Baby Suggs, and maybe Halle. The students should then go back through the book and chronologically reconstruct the main events of that character’s life. With each event, the students should include a brief summary of how it affected their character the novel’s present. Each group will create a wiki page for their findings and present it to the class. This way the entire class can access the material for review.- Beloved style prose and quizzes
This site provides a writing prose you can use to have students assess the stylistic techniques of Morrison’s writing and includes three quizzes.- __Sophie Bell lesson plan__
This lesson includes extensive resources on background of the novel, entry points into the novel, teaching the novel as history, and as literature. It also includes a culminating activity that puts Sethe on trial for Beloved’s death.- __100 Questions for Beloved__
This page provides 100 questions for the novel that could be used as assessment or to initiate class discussion.- __Unit Plan by Rick Vanderwall__
This lesson looks has students respond both to the novel as well as slavery’s deeper context and its aftermath. Students will write their own “re-memories” at the conclusion.- __History of Jim Crow__
This website provides simulations, images, narratives and more concerning Jim Crow and the history of slavery starting in 1870 as the characters in the novel would have experienced it.- __Study Guide for part one__
This site provides a study guide for students to complete as they read the first part of the novel.- __Biography of Toni Morrison__
This site provides a biography of Morrison which can help students understand why and how the novel was written.- __Weaving Together Strands of Memory Assignment__
Here students create a narrative in which they try to replicate Morrison’s style incorporating dialogue and memories.Times interview with Toni Morrison
This site provides an interview with Toni Morrison on Beloved and slavery. This can also provide some background information for students.
- __A lesson plan by Charles Weinberg__
This lesson plan first uses an interactive online venn diagram to represent the non-linearity of the novel’s narrative structure. Students then do close readings of the passages concerning the infanticide Sethe commits and how it relates to author bias.